Mendoza is one of the
23 provinces of
Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the
Cuyo region. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise
San Juan,
San Luis,
La Pampa,and
Neuquén. To the west is
Chile.
Evidence of inhabitants in the area date to 2,000 years BC. On the basin of the Atuel River, 300 years BC lived a group of people that lived of hunting, and cultivation of maize, pumpkins and beans.
Some of the tribes present at the arrival of the Spaniards include the Huarpes and Puelches. The first Spanish conquerors came around 1550 from the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1561 the city of Mendoza was founded by the military man Pedro del Castillo.
With the creation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, its 30,000 inhabitants became part of the intendency of Cuyo de Córdoba del Tucumán, but in 1813 the intendency of Cuyo separated from the other provinces.
